Corrective rape of lesbian students alarms South Africa

May 10, 2008 - "Corrective Rape" at schools in the Western Cape is a growing concern, say non-governmental organisations, some of who have noted an "alarming" level of cases.

Earlier this year, the report by the Human Rights Commission on school violence mentioned the growing crime, where heterosexual male pupils rape lesbian pupils, believing that this will make them heterosexual.

A recent study by the Triangle Project and the University of SA found that schools were still "unsafe places for many lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgendered (LGBT) learners". According to Marlow Valentine, community engagement and empowerment programme manager at the Triangle Project, few community members speak out against this. LGBT people hardly dare to tell their stories.
There seems to be a lack of support from parents and teachers. The Western Cape Education Department does sensitivity training with teachers, but the Triangle Project thinks teachers still have to deal with their own prejudices first. Kholeka Booi, the training and public co-ordinator at the Rape Crisis office in Khayelitsha confirms the problem. She says that when a girl discloses she is lesbian, boys assume (the reason is) the girl does not know anything about boys. There is a lot of peer pressure among boys and kids are afraid to report rapes. Booi thinks the issue is also linked to a "cultural problem".

Evelynne Moses, of the Rape Crisis in Athlone, said the term "corrective rape" should not be used, as it tends to "reinforce the myth that something can be corrected and that lesbianism is a choice".

Sources: www.iol.co.za, Sogi list, Cape Times, Behind the Mask, NLM Gateway: http://gateway.nlm.nih.gov/MeetingAbstracts/ma?f=102252932.html